Forum Topic

Crown & Anchor, Chiswick High Road

I feel compelled to have a moan! Yesterday, I visited the Crown & Anchor. The place was more or less empty at lunchtime which actually suited me as I was on my own. I ordered the Sunday Roast Chicken at £20 and a pint of London Pride £5.50. However, added to the total bill was a 12.5% service charge which didn't seem to be in any way discretionary. The service consisted of handing me my pint at the bar and bringing the food to my table!A pint of Guinness was £6.90! (not sure if that included the service charge).No wonder the place was so quiet - it just seems a total rip off or am I so out of touch with modern day prices?

Markos Williams ● 10d17 Comments

I think the fact that you went back and had a roast again speaks volumes. We'll definitely give it a try.(I speak as someone with no direct connection with the pub, other than an occasional punter, and someone who's pleased that the Crown and Anchor is still a pub)

Andrew Jones ● 3d

I'll admit, I went back again last Sunday and had the roast and London pride again. Just knew that I would be able to find a seat to eat. The roast was once again great. Just remembered to order the pint first and separately to the food!

Markos Williams ● 3d

Another vote for The Duchess, though appreciate it will be a bit away from Chiswick High Road for some.I went through a process about a year ago of eating at all restaurants over several months across W4 for their Sunday roasts with family members (including the Roebuck and Hole in the Wall not mentioned in others comments plus the now closed Rock & Rose). Based on that experience the Crown & Anchor is at the cheap end price wise based on what you state.Sadly many of the Chiswick pubs visited follow a trick of laying the slices of roast meat over piled up vegetables underneath, which you then find are often too much cabbage and carrots, plus the meat quality was often variable. The Duchess has ended up being easily my family's go to favourite for quality of food and serves it as I enjoyed when young.The Duchess is in price region of £16-18 and nice choice of beers but no London Pride (as not Fullers). They add a service charge but you get full service of food and drinks at your table and Chiswick Card discount if used pretty much matches the service charge.Be warned that if going at the weekend booking is strongly recommended - it is usually very full, especially with large family group tables, plus showing sports on large screen TVs.

Joe Conneely ● 5d

The Duchess excellent  food and take chiswick calander

John Kennedy ● 5d

It all depends on what people call a roast. Do you want quality food,do you want a plate full of food,a plate with a masive yorshire pudding to make the lack of meat underneath look good or beef cooked like your eating cardboard. My roast is quality and cooked right. I want that beef very pink and tender and roast potatoes that are tasty and crispy and not soft because they have been heated up in the microwave and veg that is fresh and not a mixture from a cheap bag of mixed veg boiled to a sog. And the chicken needs to be tender and crispy and not a texture resembling a think piece of soft leather that slides around when you cut into it Id rather pay more and get a roast than a cheap pile on. As to guiness,its not what it costs,its what it tastes like. Do a pub crawl,one pint in each and your then notice the change in taste and what places are bad. George,hound,roebuck,tabard in my view are good. For some reason the hound tastes the best. But after all that it depends on what you want and think and what one thinks is a roast.

Julian Pavey ● 5d

£20 is one of the cheapest, if not the cheapest Sunday roast (chicken) on the High Road right now - the Hound’s cheapest roast is an eye-watering £34 (!!) and in my experience is rather disappointing, small and nowhere near justifying that ultra-premium price, even with their “bone marrow gravy”, which seemed basically to be watery gravy with bits of rather unpleasant floating fat! Most other pubs I’d consider for Roasts (George IV, Sussex, The Roebuck, The Lamb) are £20-25 for chicken and more for beef, lamb or pork. I also doubt many places on and around the high road do Guinness for much under £7 these days eitherAdding a device charge to the bill is also fairly normal practice, and 12.5% isn’t wildly out of line either.  And it is discretionary, you can dial it down if you wish. FWIW my vote would go to the Sussex on recent sampling - good quality and decent portions.  But you will still be paying similar or higher prices wherever you go these days

Tim Porter ● 5d

I agree but the problem venues like this is that the differential in what you pay for a quite good meal to an excellent one seems to have narrowed. I can't afford to eat out as much as I would like to but feel it would make sense to pay a bit extra to go somewhere like the Hound.

Felicity Caborn ● 8d

All pubs are struggling with cost inflation, with more to come. London living wage rise, National Insurance rise, business rates etc. It really is a case of use them or lose them. If you look up W4 in the site closedpubs.co.uk you will see just how many pubs Chiswick has lost over the last few decades. It would be a shame to add this one to the list.

Paul Charlton ● 10d

Those prices sound about the norm for this area.What were you expecting to pay?

Will Watson ● 10d

Thanks Markos,Glad the food was good. These days £20 for a good roast in London is reasonable in my book. There are probably plenty of indifferent roasts that are only (Wetherspoons excepting)  a few quid cheaper in some of the nearby pubs. I remember when my large doner was £2.80 in what was then Andys - A large doner these days in Chiswick is north of £10 which I think puts the £20 in a bit of perspective.  I get what you say about the service charge, I've also got a little peeved when a service charge has been added to the whole of a tab, when a lot of that tab was for drinks that we went up to the bar to order, and waited for them to be poured. It feels a bit cheeky to say the least!

Andrew Jones ● 10d

True enough, and probably a similar price in the Red Lion & Pineapple in Acton.The Stag on Acton Lane is also likely to have cheaper pints.But, (apart from the Stag) they aren't what I would call "in the vicinity" ...The closest pubs are probably The Lamb, followed by The Old Packhorse, Connolly's, George IV, Duke of Sussex.

Andrew Jones ● 10d

Afaik you can decline to pay the service charge if it is added to the bill  by the establishment.

Keith Iddon ● 10d

Andrew, yes forgot to say, I thought the Roast was pretty good - a half chicken with veg , potatoes and Yorkshire pud, with gravy and served steaming hot which is always nicer.It's the service charge which particularly nagged me, added to both the drink and food.

Markos Williams ● 10d

"Doubt you'll find a pint of London Pride significantly cheaper in the vicinity"Pride was £3.30 at The William Morris in Hammersmith last Saturday. Yes, it's a 'Spoons.

James Weatherley ● 10d

Doubt you'll find a pint of London Pride significantly cheaper in the vicinity. May be worth checking whether you get a discount with the Chiswick Card.They used to give a discount, then it stopped a few weeks before the new people took over, but I have a feeling that perhaps a discount is offered again.Price aside, how was the Sunday Roast?

Andrew Jones ● 10d

I have to say that not being my local go to place to drink The Hound does very good food in my opinion when ive visited on the few occasions and most likely the best tasting guinness in W4.

Julian Pavey ● 10d

Its was empty ?Im not surprised at all. Its been empty for years and sold on a few times and its latest takeover in november. But still the same inside and outside.https://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=leisure&page=concrownandanchor001.htm

Julian Pavey ● 10d